William W. Wells Papers

Gen. William Wells was born in Waterbury, Vermont, on December 14, 1837. After attending the Barre Academy and Kimball Union Academy (Meriden, N.H.), Wells worked in his father's wholesale flour and grain business. When the first Vermont Cavalry was raised in 1861, Wells enlisted as private but quickly rose to captain's rank. By October, 1862, Wells had risen to rank of major. As such, he distinguished himself at Orange Court House, Virginia (Aug. 2, 1862), and commanded a cavalry battalion in the repulse of Stuarts' cavalry at Hannover, PA, (June 30, 1863), a decisive victory that, in preventing Stuart from joining Lee, deprived the latter of his cavalry for the first two days of the battle at Gettysburg. For his service at Gettysburg, Major Wells received a Congressional Medal of Honor. In Sept. 1863, Wells was wounded in the battle at Culpepper Court House, Va. In March 1864, Wells assumed for a month the command of the Seventh Michigan Cavalry. Then on May 11, he was in charge of a battalion at the battle at Yellow Tavern, Va., where the Confederate General Stuart was killed. Promoted on June 4, 1864, Colonel Wells took part in Sheridan's Shenandoah campaign, commanding a brigade of Carter's division. Having been further promoted to Brevet Brigadier-General on Feb. 22, 1865, Wells became ranking officer of the cavalry corps of the Army of the Potomac after the departure of Sheridan and Custer to Texas. Gen. Wells was in command at Fairfax County Court House after Lee's surrender. In Jan. 1866, Wells was mustered out of the service.

Upon his return from war, Wells became a partner in the firm of Henry and Company, wholesale druggists in Waterbury, VT. In 1868, the company moved to Burlington, where it became Wells, Richardson, and Company in 1872, and where Wells made his home. An active businessman, Wells achieved such influential positions as President of the Burlington Trust Co., President of the Burlington Board of Trade, and directorships of the Burlington Cold Storage Co., and the Rutland Railroad Co., and the Champlain Transport Co.

Wells remained politically active through this post-war period, having joined the State Legislature in 1865 as Representative of Waterbury. Elected as Adjutant and Inspector General in 1865, Wells gave up this position to become Collector of Customs for the District of Vermont in 1872, an office he struggled for years to obtain. Retiring from this in Sept. 1885, Wells was the following year elected State Senator from Chittenden County, a position he held until his death on April 29, 1892. William Wells married Arahana Richardson on January 6, 1866. They had two children - Frank R. and Bertha R.